A Catholic Saint Honoured publicly in Canada? You can help (if you act by April 8th!)
[print_link]From Doreen Gowans, National Chairperson of Community Life
The Bank of Canada will honour a Canadian woman on our next bank note. There is a nomination taking place now, and I can think of one great nominee —
St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
(Please pass this to all of your contacts so the selection committee receives many nominations for this excellent candidate- how about on Facebook or Twitter?)
A model of sacrifice and faithfulness for her Mohawk and Iroquois family, friends, and the larger community of New France, she was the first native North American canonized and has a large following for her prayers towards education and healing. Of course, having been canonized, she is directly responsible for interceding in a great healing of a young boy who was near death with necrotizing fasciitis.
A great Canadian woman, and I am sure that many, many others feel the same. Here is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s quote — and he would agree that Saint Kateri meets this criteria I am sure:
“A Canadian woman will be featured on the very first of the next series of bills expected in 2018,” Trudeau said. “Today, on International Women’s Day, the Bank of Canada is taking the first step by launching public consultations to select an iconic Canadian woman to be featured on this new bill.”
Former AFN Chief – Shawn Atleo agreed in his 2012 statement to celebrate her canonization:
“This is an emotional occasion for all Catholics around the world, especially in the Indigenous community, as a sister of ours is bestowed with the highest honour given by the Catholic Church,” said AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo. “Kateri Tekakwitha devoted her life to helping the poor and the sick. She is an inspiration for so many of our people who have gone through difficult times, including many who are still living with the trauma of residential schools. Many First Nation citizens have traveled to Rome to celebrate this momentous event and honour the Blessed Kateri, also known as the ‘Lily of the Mohawks.’”
Please consider taking this simple step. The Bank of Canada link is below, and the instructions to complete this are very easy to follow. Fill in the level of detail you see fit on your personal information. *It closes April 8th to nominations*
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/banknoteable/
Here is a suggested short writeup for the comments sections (which fits):
St. Kateri. A great exemplar of sacrifice + faith in the 17th Century Mohawk community. Helping the poor + sick in the midst of many trials. Honoured at her Kahnawake, QC shrine + many schools etc. The 1st indigenous saint. A great Canadian woman!
Thanks and good luck with whomever you nominate!